Black Alice by Thomas M.; Sladek Disch; Sladek Disch

Author:Thomas M.; Sladek Disch; Sladek Disch
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2010-10-09T07:22:43.625000+00:00

Chapter 12

It was misty but not chill that Tuesday morning. Roderick was again sitting in Carrol Park, he was again feeding the idiot pigeons from a bag of crumbs. A black attache case was lying in his lap, and the hand that held the bag of crumbs lay upon this. Barring the pigeons, he was alone.

A man approached through the mist, wearing a hat and a tan trenchcoat. He took a seat beside Roderick. 'Mr. Raleigh?' Roderick nodded. I'm Agent Fields.' They shook hands.

'Excuse the crumbs,' Roderick apologised belatedly. He returned to his benevolent task.

'Quite all right. You're early, I see.'

'I couldn't sleep, thinking about... And the house depresses me—without Alice in it.' 'You have the money?'

'I have the money. Jason Duquesne, my wife's brother, brought it to us last night.' 'And the case ...?'

'Is the one the kidnappers mailed to us.'

'We can go to the railway station now.'

'The instructions were to be there at eight o'clock. I don't suppose it would upset them if I appeared a few minutes early —they might not even know—but I should like to finish up this bag at least. To be candid, I'm afraid not to hold to the letter of the law, if one may speak of law in this case. And then too, once we get to the station you and I won't be able to talk. Talking helps. At least it is supposed, in theory, to help.'

Roderick and Agent Fields turned with one accord to watch the feeding pigeons, who seemed, in the absence of sunlight this morning, especially drab. Their thick red feet toddled and their heads bobbed with the abrupt and seemingly autonomous motions of a mechanical toy or a spastic. 'Do you like animals?' Roderick asked.

'Uh huh,' said Agent Fields.

'You may think it crochety of me, but I always judge a man by that. Is my daughter ... Is there any word ... ?'

'Nothing yet, Mr. Raleigh. We're checking out every possible lead.'

Roderick sighed. 'I pray to God...' he whispered, but did not go on to tell Agent Fields the precise nature of his

communications to the divinity.

Are there,' Roderick asked, after another respectful viewing of the pigeons, 'many others at the terminal?'

'Each entrance is being watched. If either Dorman or the Negro that Miss Godwin identified come in, we'll be able to tail them.'

'But there won't be any arrests? Not, at least, until Alice is safe at home. You did promise that.'

'And we'll keep to the promise. Your daughter's safety is our paramount concern at this point too, Mr. Raleigh.'

Thank you, thank you. If I could only tell you what these last days have been like for me ... Alice's mother has not borne up under the strain very well. She is an invalid, you know. As for myself, I'm afraid I owe you apologies...'

'You're doing fine, Mr. Raleigh. We all admire your courage, and we realise what a strain you must be under. It won't be long now, sir.'

A Negro paperboy came by and flashed a headline at them, of which Roderick could catch only the word, violence.

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